Share Your Ideas with Verizon

[#1]

Having to install MediaMgr on the PC just to use these features is a burden. Don't the cableboxes have built-in modems? It would be much more convinient if you could use these features without running your PC all the time.

[#2]

I could never understand it either. My Tivo lets me go to youtube. The Verizon DVR crashed whenever I tried.

[#3]

Add Amazon VOD... Netflix.... Hulu... Vudu via the STB and you have it all in one box!!!

[#4]

I wish Verizon would open things up and offer those as widgits. Netflix etc. But I think they are afraid it might cut into their profits. I would like to see the ability to get Verizon VOD on the Tivo. But that is not likely also. As marked on Ideas. Anytype of partnering with Tivo or anyone else is highly un likely.

[#5]

At least on Windows the Media Manager software supports that.  The Mac OS X version doesn't which makes the widgets like this completely useless.  Then again, I'm not really into the whole Internet Radio or YouTube thing, and if I was... I already have that capability with my iPod Touch plugged into my TV setup or if I wanted something even better I could buy an Apple TV.

[#6]

They are working on it.

[#7]

Good Post UnnDunn. I missed that one. Thanks for the Link. Kudos for you, but the don't let us do that here.

[#8]

The computer is used to transform Internet digital media formats into ones the set top box can decode. We are adding MP3 audio or h.264 (MPEG-4) to the set top box, which will enable some, but not all, Internet content to be decoded by the set top without assistance from the home computer... Flash video for instance will still need the home computer

[#9]

prisaz - stay tuned their will be partnerships... devices and more content...

[#10]

I DEFINITELY endorse taking Media Manager out of the YouTube / iHeart Radio loop!!!

Sadly though, I think the whole YouTube site is based on flash players now, isn't it? So I guess Media Manager will still be required, which I feel certain is what's not working on my network.

The YouTube Widget just flat will not work on my network.It will show the computer I have Media Manager on (hardwire Ethernet connection to router), but as soon as you do something like Search or play a video on the YouTube widget, it will either just say that a network error occured playing the video (but doesn't explain what the error actually is), and when you try to do a YouTube search,  it goes back to the screen with the two big buttons, one to refresh Media Manager Devices, and one with the Media Manager computer button listed.

At that point, when I select my MM computer, it just sits there and doesn't do anything. If I click the button to refresh the Media Manager PC device list, it inexplicably pops back to the YouTube Widget menu, but still nothing works. The list of Popular and High-Rated videos loaded in the widget are also nowhere NEAR the number of Popular / Highly Rated videos available on the YouTube web site. I don't know where that list even came from, since the Search doesn't work. When you click on any of them, they don't play, they just say there's a Network Problem.

The YouTube widget used to work long ago, but Search would not find one of my videos I was searching for, whereas the YouTube site can find it (It's one of the videos titled "Pepper Spray Sucks", from my police academy pepper spray experience). I also couldn't find some instructional videos I wanted to view in full large-screen HDTV, but again I confirmed that the web site search function could find them.

As others have reported, the video was choppy, too, as though the buffer wasn't nearly big enough. I'd rather wait a few minutes for the local buffer to build up before the video starts, than have it play immediately but be choppy and sometimes pause completely for 5-15 seconds. That may be the fault of the YouTube site, since I compared it to how it played on my laptop, which was also choppy. But my laptop is WiFi, and my desktop with Media Manager is hardwired ethernet.

Lastly, the YouTube Widget doesn't seem to have at full-screen HDTV mode, even though a lot of YouTube videos are HD - At least, the Widget background doesn't cover the whole 1080i HD screen. Perhaps the video would if I could just connect to one of them.

I wish there was a general-use Internet Browser to play YouTube and iHeart Radio, instead of the dedicated Widgets, because I'd like to browse other video sites too, display Google News, etc, occasionally.. I could rig up my PS3 to do that and even interface a wireless keyboard to the PS3 (supposedly), but I don't have a PS3 in both rooms.

iHeart Radio plays the station it lists on the TV side, but it doesn't show Dallas station KLIF - AM in the station list on the TV  side NOR the PC side of Media Manager - But if you go to iHeart.com, KLIF shows up both in the Dallas, TX and Talk Radio genre listings. Obviously the iHeart radio list isn't refreshing in Media Manager, and I could not find any Refresh or Reload button or menu item for iHeart Radio list, neither the TV nor the PC side.

Strangly enough, the Media Manager WILL play MP3 files and the sample video file on the PC through the TV, but it just won't play YouTube Videos through the YouTube widget.

It may have something to do with the two layers of software firewalls I have (one from the FiOS ActionTec router, and one from the Norton 360 antivirus software I have on all my PC's), but I gave the two Media Manager tasks complete access im Norton 360. The Windows firewall is turned off.

I've also tried the temporary Norton Firewall disable, though, and it still won't work. I went through all the Selk-checks and auto-fixes on our DVR's, but it neither reported any connectivity problem with Media Manager nor fixed it.

[#11]

UPDATE on YouTube Widget Problem

SOLVED my issue of not connecting to Media Manager

The Firewall settings on Norton 360 was the problem, but NOT the Media Manager program permissions. - The problem was in the Norton 360 Network trust settings for each DEVICE.

I had to go into Norton 360's control panel, click SETTINGS at the top, then click MY NETWORK in the list of tasks.

Click CONFIGURE accross from Network Security.

Now open up the Verizon router web site at http://192.168.1.1/, and click "My Network" that lists all the active Device Names, IP numbers, and MAC addresses.

In the Norton 360 Network trust listings, You must set the Set-Top Boxes (IP-STBxx) to Full Trust. Also set the computer running the Media Manager to Full Trust. Find the devices by their MAC address, since the IP numbers may change unless they're static.

If all the deviced are not shown, create the device reference with the name and MAC address from the Verizon router's Network web page. Again, use MAC address because the IP address may change unless they're static (as opposed to DHCP). Note that you'll need to add any divices that weren't already added. The Norton 360 Network trust settings are actually two lists, and rather confusing.

Added devices go in the Trust Control list, but automatically-detected devices go into the Local Network list, but they seem to have to be created in the Trust List manually mu name and MAC address in otder to assign them as Full Trust - WHEW!!! - There oughta be an easier way, and maybe there is, who knows!

Now the YouTube Widget should be able to connect so you can play videos and do searches!